


A Crow's Spell

by sisternyxalia13



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Mild Language, Mild Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 00:13:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11324652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sisternyxalia13/pseuds/sisternyxalia13
Summary: Robin is Ylisse's tactician and the struggle for the future is in her hands. She can't help but feel as though anything above friendship is a distraction, and that love is simply not for her. She's lonely but stubborn, and certainly not expecting to be swept off of her feet!Spoilers for mid-game chapters of FE:A.





	A Crow's Spell

“What’s up, Robin?”  
The dark-haired tactician looked up from her books and map-spread, where she’d been studying the movements of the Valmese, where they might come ashore to attack them.  
“Trying to predict the fleet’s movements. They’re likely to come at us through either Plegia or Regna Ferox. Plegia can handle itself, they’ve got enough gold for the resources. It’s Ferox I’m worried about. It’s a much closer port, and as much as I hate to admit it, we might have to meet them at sea.”  
The blond princess stared at the female tactician for a long moment, concern painted on her face, but she smiles warmly. “Well, if we do, we’ll be well prepared!”  
“Not completely. Ylisse doesn’t border the ocean, and Regna Ferox isn’t exactly a seafaring nation.”  
“Well didn’t you just say that Plegia has enough gold and resources? They border the ocean.”  
Robin’s eyes lit up, bright and amused. “That’s it, Lissa, you’re a genius!”  
“Of course I am!” beamed the delicate girl, placing both hands on her hips with a grin, “If I’m to be princess of Ylisse, I should be brilliant.”  
“Can your brilliance help me out more? I need to contact someone from Plegia to arrange a meet with them.”  
“Virion might have a carrier bird–but shouldn’t you speak to my big brother first?”  
Robin stopped, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, “Yes, I suppose I should. Where is he?”  
“With his wife, they’re doting on each other,” called the other, rolling her eyes loudly. Everyone in The Shepherds knew how much the young exalt-to-be Chrom loved Olivia, even so long after their sudden, whirlwind romance.  
Robin rolled her eyes as well, giving a smile, “I don’t understand what happened. When we went to face Gangrel, I paired Chrom with her just to make sure she didn’t get hurt. Apparently they made a good connection in the fight.” The tactician paused for a long moment, studying the ground and then turning to Lissa slightly, “But I guess love springs eternal, even on the battlefield, doesn’t it?” Robin turned and started her way through the camp, passing the different couples. Gaius and Cordelia had married not long after Gangrel had been destroyed–they were a cute couple. Virion and Sully had made for a surprising match together–but a good one. Robin had found that these pairs had worked well together in battle, and she was surprised that much of her pairing had brought these couples together.  
“I guess it does! Hey, slow down!”  
Lissa was trotting to keep up, and managed to run past Robin enough to walk backwards in front of her so they could talk, “You know, you could maybe do with a special someone.”  
“What, like everyone else?”  
“Not everyone does!”  
“No, I suppose they don’t, but I have a duty, as tactician I can’t forego my responsibilities to this army with a marriage.”  
“It doesn’t have to be a marriage! Chrom does just fine with Olivia, he’s even helping train her with blades and as a pegasus knight! Chrom doesn’t even know how to ride a pegasus!”  
“I suppose it’s advantageous for them, but not so much for me. I’m fine alone.”  
“You’ve spent a lot of time almost being injured, I would know.”  
“I just think it would distract me, Lissa. Romance is a distraction.”  
The healer stopped, letting the tactician pass her. Lissa reached out, swiftly catching the Tactician’s arm, “It’s not a distraction. Donny and I are perfectly happy and really close to each other. It doesn’t make me a worse healer…and it doesn’t make him a bad fighter. You should loosen up a little.”  
Robin stopped, her face going red. “Sorry, I.. Didn’t mean to insult you or anyone else. I’m glad you have someone, you and Donny are really cute together. I just don’t want a romance right now.”  
Concern flickered across Lissa’s face again before she spoke up, “I know you feel responsible but you have to unwind sometimes, Robin.”  
“I will when the threat of being invaded is less…imminent.”  
“Just think about it, okay? And if you’re not up for romance I’ll just have to drag you out to do other things to distract you. I’m a princess, you can’t say no!”  
At this, Robin laughed for the first time in the several months since the Valmese came to the Feroxi Port.  
“Alright, alright. Thanks. Now, let’s go find your brother. If we’re lucky, we won’t catch them making Lucina a little sibling.”  
–  
The meeting with Plegian officials had went…as well as anticipated, though Robin could not shake the feeling that she was being watch, and worse, that something was not right.  
After her unpleasant meeting with Validar in the middle of their god-forsaken island, one covered in crows, she felt the need to hurry back to camp with Chrom and Frederick in tow, and make everyone pack up. Something felt very, very wrong and she needed to make sure that they got away from their current space as soon as possible.  
“Robin, what’s wrong?” Chrom’s voice was concerned, as always.  
“Something’s up, Validar was here, the place is covered in crows. We’re moving camp–”  
“Are you sure it’s not just the atmosphere?”  
She looked Chrom in the eyes, her own bright and wide under the moonlight before she turned away, “Yes, I’m sure. Validar was here and reeking of the same miasma as those reeking boxes we keep finding. Maybe it’s because the place is called Carrion Island, but the whole deal smells like Risen, and I want us to get moving. I know we’ll all be exhausted, but we’ll be alive.”  
“Alright. I’ll spread the word.”  
Chrom turned to Frederick, who stood, as stoic as ever, “Inform the others to pack up and be ready to move out. We’ve hardly started nailing down the tents, but it shouldn’t take too long–”  
From the edge of camp came the cry of one of their soldiers, a pained sound that split the air– “Gods, what was that?”  
Robin turned her head, calling out quickly, “Ambush!”  
Risen split through the tents. Robin turned, pushing them back with a sharp lightning spell. Chrom got rid of another by slicing it in twain.  
“The number was small, but in the dark, in the trees around the encampment, more eyes peered through.  
Lissa ran back through, half-dressed, carrying her staff and an axe, a cut on her cheek. Chrom rushed to her, cleaning the wound with his thumb and fussing–"Are you alright, Lissa? Are you hurt?”  
She shakes her head, though clearly shaken, “There’s Risen coming out of the trees. One of them got into my tent!”  
Robin turned, decisive as she pulled on her armor and pulled her tomes, “Have everyone that’s awake suit up, we have to defend the camp.”  
Chrom nodded and Frederick vanished into the night, banging a pot with the butt of an axe to wake the others.  
The scramble of arms and armor was quick, and those that were sleeping and not quick enough to join the battle immediately were told to prepare, but to hang back as a second line of defense.  
Robin, already dressed dashed out to Chrom to make the first wave of defense–she was surrounded by others who were up and prepared. Olivia had managed to throw her armor onto her small frame and climb onto her pegasus in impressively short time to assist her husband. Lissa, now considerably jittery, was hanging onto Donnel with a healthy amount of unease, though the farm-boy seemed to steady her hand. Gaius and Cordelia had been up quickly and with a surprising amount of preparedness–which Robin attributed to Cordelia’s general conscientious nature. Others paired up strongly, she placed Lon'qu with Cherche–a new female fighter they’d acquired– in hopes that keeping him mobile on the wyvern would make him more useful on the battlefield. Nevermind that Lon'qu was terrified of women.  
The tired Sully and even more tired Virion both had mounted their steeds and prepared for battle quickly, staring at the woods, waiting for the Risen to come. Robin almost hoped they didn’t, she didn’t want to lose anyone because they were sleep deprived. It would be easier, but embarrassing, if this were a false alarm.  
She prayed it was.  
On her right, Frederick arrived with Sumia in tow, both of them dressed to the nines and ready to fight. The knight apologized for their lateness–Robin waved it away, keeping silent.  
Surrounded by others, she suddenly, very suddenly, felt alone. And in the stillness before battle, it was…deafening.  
Very suddenly, a plume of black smoke rose before her, a great shadow of a man raised its axe with a shuddering gasp and groan–and then her whole vision went black.  
There was no pain, but the air was suddenly filled with a thousand cawing crows, all flying in a vortex, and someone called forth a spell that disintegrated the Risen in a shard of red light.  
“Gods, what is this? Crows?! It’s upon us!”  
Chrom could hardly see through the cloud of birds, shooing them, though they didn’t dissipate. From inside the crowd of corvids came a light laughter, and something inside Robin clicked. She felt a rush of warmth and something quick and hot shock her spine.  
“Hey!”  
As the flock of birds dissipated and Chrom settled for half-drawing the Falchion, the tightly placed flank of Shepherds was infiltrated by the single strangest mage any of them had seen.  
His dark skin contrasted with his pale hair, and he smiled so hard that his eyes were closed.  
The mage cawed, mimicking the storm of crows as they flew off into the night, “Are you guys lost? Or a lost CAWS!” He punctuated his terrible joke with a laugh, and again Robin felt the same click and rush of warmth. The color drained from her face.  
Chrom seemed dumfounded, shooing away still the last of the birds, hardly able to respond before the strange, pale-haired mage spoke again.  
“What’s wrong? CAW-strophobic?” Again, this statement was punctuated with a laugh, “OH! I slay me!”  
“Not if these Risen do first! This is no time for japes! Hide yourself, boy!” Chrom and the others appeared to be largely underwhelmed and unimpressed. Robin again stared.  
“You know, I thought you were alright, but it turns out, you’re all-FRIGHT! I’d wish you good luck killing these monsters, buuuuuut… They’re already dead! ”  
Chrom, for the first time in ages, felt a vein bulge in his temple. Suddenly he felt like he was now Frederick dealing with a petulant child, “We are well aware!”  
The pale-haired mage seemed to ignore this, smiling loudly, “The crows wanted me to give you a message. Now what was it…. Caw ca-caw… Roughly translated it means… What was the word for it again… Traipse… tripe? OH! Trapped. They say you’re trapped.”  
The bluntness of which the words came were a blow that no one was willing to put up with. Out of the darkness the Risen began to slink toward the first line of defense.  
Again, Chrom felt the vein in his forehead, and he ground his teeth before responding– “We know that dammit! Gods, where did they all come from?”  
Without prompting, the new mage responded, as though he was more welcome here than anywhere else in the world, “Well you see, when a mommy zombie and a daddy zombie love each other very much–” this statement was interrupted by his own laughter. Something about the situation, and the terrible jokes struck Robin as funny, and she had to pull her hood up and cover her mouth in order not to show that she was actually laughing.  
“Perhaps I should save the Risen the trouble and silence you myself!”  
Henry stopped his laughing, giving a slight groan as though he were now sad his fun had been dashed, “Wait! I want to join your CAWS– I mean, I can help you! I know magic! What do you say, birds of a feather and all that?”  
As the Risen steadily approached, there was tight unease.  
“You’re a Plegian dark mage? Why would you help us?”  
The young man opened one eye, gesturing lazily at a Risen who had gotten too close, destroying it with a spell, “Don’t let all the joking fool you, I’ve got a thing for killing. Most funny people do. Must be connected somehow. Ever talk to a jester when he’s off duty? Those are some sick dastards.”  
The young mage was left with silence. Before Chrom could protest, Robin stood up, holding her hand out– “We can use every hand we can get, Chrom. He’s welcome here.”  
The prince gave a glance at his tactician, noting something about her face that seemed almost…struck. He’d never seen her look quite that way at anyone, it was…strange, almost concerning.  
“Alright. What’s your name, boy?”  
The young man in the Plegian robes offered his widest smile, his eyes closing again, “You can call me Henry.”  
As the word came out of his mouth, the line of Risen made a dash for the Shepherds, and the fighters fell into their positions. Henry, without asking but following the simple gesture that Robin gave, went to the nearest hold and blasted spells from the other side of the wall, keeping his distance.  
Chrom approached her, careful and quick, gesturing for Olivia to wait for him– “Robin, are you sure we can trust this guy?”  
“What have we got to lose?”  
“Do you want me to keep an eye on him?”  
Robin, studying the mage at a distance, her expression still lit, her face now flushing bright red with each flash of magic and flutter of his robes. She gave Chrom a glance, her own heart pounding in her chest.  
“No, I want you to stay with Olivia. I’ll go with Henry. He’s clearly very fragile, I want to make sure I don’t get him killed. He’s headed where I was anyway–”  
As she says this, the Plegian mage snipes several Risen attempting to take out Frederick’s steed, saluting the knight with a sneaky grin.  
“…Alright. Be careful. Just because he says he’s trustworthy doesn’t mean he is.”  
Robin gave Chrom a knowing glance, “Okay, Frederick the Wary. I think I can trust him.”  
Chrom waited a full moment, trying to think of a reply before he laughed to himself, boarded Olivia’s pegasus, and allowed Robin to direct them to the front line, where Lissa and Donny were holding it firmly. Robin vanished off to the side, trotting to keep up with the new spell-slinger.  
“Hey! Henry! You’re with me!”  
The mage paused, looking her over with a grin, though something about it faltered.  
“Okay. Let’s blow up some zombies. I want to keep one after it’s over and see how they tick.”  
Robin felt her heart pounding, and for a moment, she thought about what Lissa said.  
‘I think I’m in love with this lunatic.’  
And then, after Henry quickly demolished another Risen.  
'Fuck.’


End file.
